World of Equestria
by lunarsoldier
Summary: An accident leads a mage with a dark secret to fall into a foreign world.


It seemed to him that the bustling streets of Dalaran were a bit louder than usual. Archmage Aethas was on his way down to the busy square, doing his best to improvise a speech that would assure the growing crowd of people gathering at the base of the Violet Citadel that being polymorphed halfway through a portal was not as serious of a concern as everyone made it out to be. The unofficial report from several eyewitnesses stated, during a scuffle between Horde and Alliance forces, retreating Alliance magi were creating portals to Stormwind when a unknowing Orc mage attempted the polymorph spell on a Alliance druid mid-portal. The resulting crater that ended the battle, spanning more the two hundred and fifty meters across the Southern Barrens was now the concern of the citizens.

"People of Azeroth, be not concerned." Aethas began to address the now restless crowd, "I have been assured by my superiors that the incident in the Southern Barrens was not the work of a mage casting a polymorph spell."

"What is it, then?" A man yelled from the middle of the mob.

"That," Aethas began, "I cannot tell you," The crowd let out a sound of disgust and moaning. "for we are not sure ourselves. But what I can tell you is this: The Kirin Tor are investigating the incident, along with members of the Shadow Hunters and SI:7."

A hush fell over the crowd. "Horde and Alliance members working together? This is going to be the Wrathgate all over again!" A woman from the front exclaimed.

"Whatever made this incident happen, the Kirin Tor need full cooperation from both Horde and Alliance leaders, as well as full disclosure. We have already contacted the representatives from both factions, and Kirin Tor agents are in the Southern Barrens as we speak. But, in the meantime," Aethas motioned for someone, "To prove to you all that this was not a doing of a rogue magi accident, we are going to have a demonstration."

* * *

"Mike," Jaina Proudmoore called over her shoulder, "Your queue is about up." She was surprised when the response was silence. _He was just here,_ she thought as she turned back into the room, _Where is he now?_ A scan revealed the room was empty. A moment of frustration passed, then realization, before Jaina teleported to the top of the tallest spire in Dalaran, known as the Purple Parlor. She found him, leaning against the railing, observing the growing chaos below. "Mike..."

"I know."

"What's wrong now?"

He stood back up and faced her, "Jaina?"

"Yes, Mike?"

His glowing blue eyes met hers, "Will they accept me for what I've done?"

"You knew not what you did." She moved over to the railing beside him, "You can't be held responsible for what you did when you were under the Lich King's command. When your will broke free, you came back to us. When the Lich King was defeated, your soul and the souls of all the other death knights were avenged. And when we discovered and removed Ner'zhul's tainted magic within the other death knights, you were free to do whatever you chose to do. You decided to try a life of arcane magic with resounding success. So much success, that the ruling council has even been debating on whether to take you on as an archmage." She suspiciously glanced around the room, "Don't tell them I told you that."

He looked away from her and back down at the crowd. Something had made them stir and uneasy. "That's not what I mean. I'm a human, former death knight turned mage, representing the Horde in Dalaran. I've made a commitment against just about everything I am supposed to stand for." He turned back to her. "How am I supposed to face them now?"

She looked into his runic-corrupted eyes, moved up, and embraced him in a hug. "Sometimes, it's about what needs to be done. It shouldn't have to matter where you're from or who you are. I think you are the first step in that direction." She thought, _Even if you are still cold to the touch._

* * *

The crowd began to move steadily backward after Aethas mentioned the demonstration. He reached into his pocket and removed a rune of portals. After a brief spell, a portal opened to a vast ocean. "Just to put everyone's mind at ease, the other side of the portal was conjured as well, so that, just in case, the warnings are in fact true, no one will be injured. We are going to have our volunteer go through completely, then step halfway in between the portals, and then be polymorphed." Aethas looked off to the side of the improvised stage and Mike came walking forth.

"Well at least we'll be blowing up a traitor!" A man blurted from the front.

"Mike is only doing his part. His secure relations with Horde leaders have eased tensions that would -"

He was cut off. "He's a traitor! If he does survive, I'm pushing you off this island so you can hit the ground below!" The crowd began to grumble with disguest.

"Silence!" Aethas roared over the crowd while casting an arcane burst. The sudden blast of bright purple light made many gasp in surprise. "There will no further outbursts from the crowd, or I will send you to the sewers myself!" A hush came after, then he turned, "Mike, if you don't mind," and made a motion to the portal.

Mike looked at the portal for a moment, then stepped through. It was the same feeling as usual with every portal that was conjured to a random location. A sense of electric energy followed by a slight tingling sensation that left his ears ringing and slightly disoriented. This time, he was even more disoriented from stepping onto the swaying ship. He then turned around toward the portal, and took one step. "I will now polymorph Mike into a sheep." Aethas raised his hands and began to cast the spell, when Mike saw a glimpse of golden blonde hair from behind the archmage. The last thing he saw was her blue eyes and her million gold coin smile before a brilliant flash, then, darkness.

* * *

Mike seemed to be in freefall, still stuck in the shape of a sheep. _O__f all the days he couldn't change me into some flying form_, he thought to himself. He had been falling for fifteen seconds when he managed to cast a anti-magic spell. Now back in his human form, he continued to hurdle toward the ground, which he didn't know where it was. It was night wherever he had been teleported to, and the only thing that was visible was the bright glow of a moon and a few yellow lights on what he thought was the ground. _Well, looks like they were right...I am going to meet my end._ Mike couldn't help but to give a long "WHOOOHOOO!" as he continued to hurl toward the ground. The moonlight was bright enough he could see a few buildings, and the shape of what looked to be a barn. He looked back down to what he thought were trees arranged in rows. _Unless..._and with a quick incantation, Mike entombed himself in a block of ice.

He awoke what must have been an hour or two later to find himself still in his ice pod. A faint glow of daylight was beginning to shine through the fogged ice that had begun to melt from the inside out. A quick wiggle of his fingers and toes made Mike aware he still had at least his physical senses, and then a shiver. Hypothermia was beginning to set in. It took what seemed to be the rest of his strength to cast a powerful enough arcane blast to break what remained of the ice prison. _Idiot...a fire spell may have been a little more appropriate._  
The top of his pod now removed, he began to sit up, when he felt a strange magic. Arcane magic users always felt a tingling sensation when in the presence of great power, but this was different. A feeling of warmth and comfort now filled his body. He hadn't felt a sensation like this since before the invasion of the Scourge...since before he became the specter of death itself. He laid back down in his icy pod, exhausted and absorbing the warmth of the energies around him.

The feeling was quickly replaced with surprise when he saw the familiar shape of a spearhead pointed at his chest. Mike's first instinct was to hold completely still, making sure not to make any sudden movements if needing to shift his weight in his continually melting ice pod. It was still too dark to determine what his captive looked like, but he could tell it was a quadruped, perhaps a centaur. His discoverer spoke, but in a tongue he could not even begin to comprehend. To Mike, it was like listening to the Forsaken language when he first heard it in the Undercity. "I'm sorry?" was the only thing he could mutter back. The creature looked to another that had appeared out of the darkness, and Mike could see the outline of a horse's head. _By the gods, what is this?_ More unrecognizable words were transpired between the two creatures, and the one holding the spear poked his chest. "Hey now," he batted the spear away, "No need to get feisty." Mike immediately regretted the decision. The spear was now being held at his neck. A lantern came out, and he could clearly see the figure. A pony, standing above him, spear in...air? A glow surrounded the spear, and from the horses...horn? _What in the name of Aman'Thul is going on here!?_ A feeling of fear rushed down his spine. A leg motioned upward, and Mike stood up in his pod. The pony then pointed at the ground, and Mike stepped down onto the soft earth. A sweet smell filled his nostrils as he took a breath, cold shackles snapped their way around his wrists, and a prod from the spear told him to move forward.

The sun had begun to rise over the hills that surrounded the settlement he was now walking through. Mike looked around in awe at what he was seeing. Ponies in hats, with curls, sitting on park benches, flying. _What world have I been brought to?_ He couldn't help but notice all the stares he was getting from all the ponies he passed. Many just looked, others went into the nearest building and shut windows and doors. He passed through what looked to be the local produce market. Sellers still setting up stands paused for a moment to see the guards escorting Mike.

One in particular caught his ear. He still couldn't understand the words that were being exchanged, but the tone of their voices had a particular drawl to it. He picked his head up to look, and saw a trio of ponies unloading apples from a cart. They had stopped to observe the commotion that he was creating. The smallest of the trio didn't seem to have the worried look that all the others did. _A child_. The small one took a step forward, but was stopped by a hoof from one with a mark of three apples on their flank. Mike took one last glance at the group, and pointed his head back at the ground.

The group passed a giant tree with windows. A quick peek up at the "building" and he could see an array of books. _What a peculiar place for a library._ Another horned pony stuck a head out one of the windows near the top of the structure. The pony yelled down to Mike's guards. The voice had a smoother and higher pitch, so he could only assume that was a female of the species. The guards yelled back at the mare in the tree, to what he surprisingly saw to be frustration. The pony in the window then went back into her abode in the tree, and they began to walk again.

A few more minutes of walking passed, and he was led to a building on what looked to be the outskirts of the town. The building looked to be nothing more than a large storage shed that hadn't been used in many months. A quick exchange between the guards, and the door glowed and opened. One of the guards stood in front of him now and began to speak. Mike couldn't do anything more than put up his arms in a way to hopefully convey he couldn't understand. The guard then turned his magic on him, pulling him into the building. The magic field surrounding Mike had the same warm feeling like when he first arrived. He didn't fight the magic, and went into the shed. It was empty inside, and two opposite facing windows were the only objects that allowed light in. As soon as Mike had passed the threshold of the door, it slammed shut behind him, and he heard a click by the handle. _So,_ he began to think, _this is my prison until they figure out what to do with me._ Still bound, he sat in the middle of the floor and awaited whatever fate he had.

* * *

An hour went by and Mike was starting to become hungry. The glow of the morning sun was at full strength now, and sitting in the light gave him some strength again. He brought up his hands, closed them together, and said a quick incantation. Upon opening, he found a warm strudel now rested where there was an empty void. It was enough to get him through the next hour. The thought of blasting a hole in one of the walls crossed his mind. _Oh, please, _he quickly changed his mind,_ I'd become an immediate outcast. Maybe these people...or ponies can help me_. Mike removed a rune of teleportation from his pocket and said a spell that should have brought him back to Dalaran, but upon completion, the rune turned to blackened ash and slipped through his fingers. _No..._Mike began to dread, _Wherever I am has no correlation with Azeroth._

He contemplated meditating in the dusky shed before hearing the familiar voice of the pony in the tree library. A banter between the guards and pony took place right outside the door, and Mike could tell that each were becoming increasingly frustrated with the other. A small "poof" from outside quickly brought the argument to an abrupt end, much to his surprise, and the door glowed and opened. The figure of the purple unicorn was silhouetted in the doorway as she began to walk inside.

Mike continued to sit in the far corner, bringing his hand in front of the bright light that shown through the door. The mare cautiously approached him and tried to mutter a few sentences. He shot back a confused look on his face, and as far as he could tell, the unicorn could now tell what the problem was. She made a downward motion with her hoof, and bolted out the door. A few moments later, she was back, this time being accompanied by a small creature that resembled a dragonkin...or at least a whelp. The whelp was holding a book that was then levitated by the unicorn. She opened the book, flipped a few pages, and must have found what she was looking for, for her eyes lit up. She read a short passage from the book, then looked at Mike. A few moments of silence passed, the dragon whelp muttered something to the unicorn, and looked back to him. The mare unicorn walked up to Mike, pointed to her mouth, and repeatedly open and closed it.

"You...want me to say something?" That was Mike's best guess as to what she wanted him to do. The mare's horn started to glow. Mike pointed to it. "Is that supposed to happen?" The mare motioned Mike to keep talking. "You want me to keep talking?" Mike asked while pointing to his own mouth. The unicorn nodded. "What do you want to talk about?" After that question, a shot of purple light came out of the unicorn's horn and hit Mike. It was the same kind of warm feeling with more intensity this time, but with a disorienting after effect that left him dizzy. He tried to stand up, but fell back down to the ground and lost consciousness.

"You have arrived." There were no figures in the now pitch black area. The voice was a faint whisper to his ears. "He has arrived."

"Who has arrived?" Mike called back to the emptiness. "And who are you?"

"You know who we are..." A pause. "...death knight."

* * *

Before he could even begin to ponder the voices, Mike felt a feeling of sweat on his forehead. He awoke to a massive headache, and the purple unicorn above him. "Try not to move," she said. "You took quite a fall."

Mike rolled over and held his head. "Ugh...my head. What'd you do to me?"  
"Language spell. Though I wasn't sure it was going to work." She turned to a book being levitated. "I've never heard your language before."  
"Haven't heard yours either, and I've been around a large manner of other races." He looked around the building and out the window. He must have been out for at least another hour. The sun was at its peak in the sky. "Then again, never really seen a pony that could talk."

She looked at him quizzically, "I know the feeling. I haven't ever seen anypony like you either."

_Anypony?_ Mike thought that was a weird way of saying "anyone." His mind raced back to the pitch blackness of his unconscious state. How did whatever was in the void know what he once was? Was it just a dream? Many death knights, after being freed from the Lich King, never dreamt again, and Mike was one of them. To be pulled to that kind of a state was no coincidence. He was certain of this. "Where am I?"

The mare continued to have her nose in a book. The whelp was now bringing in books three at a time to the shed, drop them off, and scurry away to retrieve more. The mare would levitate a book, flip through pages, and discard it. She was either a fast reader or not finding what she needed. "You're in Ponyville, right by the railroad station. Sorry we had to treat you like this. We didn't know what you were or if you were dangerous."  
"I can give you my assurance that I mean no one any harm," Mike began as he raised his still bound hands. "So long as they show me the same respect. Waking from my ice block to a spear pointed at me wasn't the most reassuring greeting."

She continued to toss book after book aside. "And for that I do apologize." She stopped on the last book of the pile and turned to face him. "But I hope you do understand why."  
"Of course." He thought back to the days during the Pandaria campaign. "I'm all too familiar with having to deal with hassles in the name of national security." She looked puzzled. "Anyway," he began to change the subject, "I do believe introductions are an order now that we are both able to be on the same page. My name is Michael. You may call me Mike for short."  
She nodded her head. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. You can call me Twilight for short. It's very nice to talk to you finally. It took quite a while to convince the Princess to have me cast a spell on you." It was instinct that made Mike stretch forth his hand to reach for a handshake. The mare looked at his empty hand and stretched forth a hoof. They shook hands, or hooves.  
"It's nice to be able to talk to someone again. Now I can see if I can get my bearings..." He looked out the window, and back to Twilight. "...which may have to wait until it gets dark."  
The whelp had brought in another stack of books and Twilight had begun to go through the first three. "Why do you have to wait?"  
Mike looked up at the crystal clear blue sky. "I need to observe celestial bodies and see if I can recognize at least two or three. They might be able to point me to wherever I have been transported."  
She stopped looking through her books. "Astronomy? I can help you with that! What are you looking for?"

He thought for a moment. "More along the lines of astrology. I'm looking for home," Mike sighed, "but I don't know how I'll be able to find it. I may well have been blasted into another place in space-time for all I know."

Mike thought for a moment that the language spell had already worn off, because when he looked back over to Twilight, she had the most confused look about her. Her mouth was agape and an eyebrow was trying its best to reach the ceiling. "Beg your pardon? Another place in 'space-time?'"

"Infinite universe theorem," Mike answered. "One of the lesser known theories by the late Archmage Antonidas." She still looked at him like he was speaking Orcish. "Basically, at any given time, there are an infinite number or universes to account for an infinite number of possible realities that may happen based on an infinite number of choices, decisions, or circumstances. He was theorizing a way to possibly travel to one of these dimensions, but then the Third War occurred."

Twilight seemed a little less perplexed. "Wow, that's way over my head. So he had to go fight?"

"No," Mike looked back out the window, "Antonidas, by this time, was 72. He was killed by Arthas when the Scourge invaded Dalaran." _Arthas,_ he thought, _Damn that name!_

"You're going to have to explain to me later what all that means."

"Of course." Mike didn't want to have to tell her of the stories of the war; the death and destruction of his land by the Scourge.

The whelp came in once again, with scroll in hand this time. "Twilight, a message came for you from the Princess." The unicorn unscrolled the letter and read it, then looked back up at Mike with a dread face. "Everything alright?"

"The Princess wants to see you."

Mike looked back at Twilight. "Princess? Princess who?"

"Princess Celestia, the raiser of the Sun, ruler of Equestria, and my magic teacher." The sunlight was still coming in the window, and shimmering off Twilight's mane. It almost shone in a way to make what Twilight was saying that much more regal. "She's wise and fair. The raiser of the sun each morning. She would like to have a word with our guest."

"I have a feeling it's going to be more than just a word," the whelp muttered back to the mare.

"Spike, stop it. You have been nothing but negative since he arrived." She turned back to Mike, "I'm sure she just wants to see for herself what has happened here."

"Well," Mike began, clearing his throat, brushing off and readjusting his robes, "we mustn't keep the dear Princess waiting." A moment of silence passed, "I would appreciate an area to at least refresh myself. I don't want to give a bad first impression."

Both the whelp and Twilight began to walk to the door. "You'll have plenty of time to freshen up." She had stopped just before the door and faced him again. "Canterlot is at least a quarter-day journey by train."

Mike walked up to the door, standing as tall as he could, "Well then," he made a hand gesture toward the door, "Shall we?"

* * *

_Such an odd little place_, Mike thought as he now stared out the window of the moving locomotive. _So green and lush, untouched by corruption_. "Tell me," Mike said aloud, "are all areas of this planet this...lively?" Mike was trying to speak to one of the guards in the passenger compartment in where he was being held. His presence still frightened the ponies, as he was the only one in the car, save for the guards and Twilight.

"Most of them, yes." Twilight finally responded. "To the north is a land of endless snow and ice. There are arid areas as well, but they're few in number and far between."

"This place is just so...pristine. So untouched by the ravages I have witnessed...so full of life." Mike had told her some of the Scourge. He spoke of the Lich King, how he would raise armies of the dead and bind them to his will. He turned to Twilight. "I'm almost glad I was blown here."

"What do you mean 'blown here'?"

Mike turned and faced her fully. "I was taking part in a demonstration of magic. There are written rules about the usage of arcane power and when it should and should not be used. One of the times that is in the 'should not use' section is polymorphing a person while they are mid-portal. Apparently those suspicions were correct."

Twilight looked at him quizzically, "No one knew the effects beforehand?"

"Everyone was too scared to try." Mike sighed. "But they have their answer now...hopefully."

A guard walked up to them, "We will be arriving in ten minutes."

Twilight looked up at the armored pony, "Thank you, sir." and back to Mike. "Do you still want to refresh yourself?"

"Of course." Mike gladly replied. "It's not every day that one gets to meet royalty."

"Sir?" Twilight called to another guard. "Will you escort this fine gentlecolt to a washroom?"

"At once." The guard said with a grunt. Mike stood to size the guard up. He stood almost as tall as he did, around two meters. Considerably more bulky than Mike. His horn glowed a baby blue and the compartment door opened. "Through here and to the right. And no funny business, stranger."

"Do I look like I'm going to be causing any funny business to you?" Mike mockingly asked.

"I do not know," the guard firmly replied, unshackling Mike's hands, "Just make it quick."

The train came to a halt after Mike had thoroughly washed what he could. _A rinse is still better than nothing at all._ The guard knocked on the door. "Hurry, please. It seems there is other matters that the princess must address to Twilight and her group."

"Group?" Mike asked as he opened the door. "I was under the impression that we were travelling alone."

"It seems that no matter where we go, Twilight's closest friends are always with her." The guard showed Mike to the station platform where Twilight was surrounded by other ponies. He could feel the warm energy again, now more present than ever. He could almost see a radiant glow, swirling and moving through Twilight and the five others that stood around her. "They are, after all, keepers of the Elements of Harmony."

Mike eyed over to his guard. "I have no idea what that is," then back to the group, "but if I were to guess, it's some kind of powerful magic that is created when all six of them are together."

The guard snapped to Mike, mouth agape and stunned. "How did you know that?"

Mike made a head nod toward the group. "I can feel the bond between them."

* * *

_Simply amazing,_ was all Mike could think as he was being led to the grandest building of Canterlot. The guards had backed off some, letting Mike now freely examine the surroundings. _These cobblestone streets, the crystal clear windowing, towering purple spires. Reminds me of...home._ A blonde-mane pony passed within close proximity to Mike. _Jaina?_ He was brought back to reality by Twilight's voice.

"Hey, keep up. We can't leave the princess waiting."

Mike used a short distance teleport to catch back up to Twilight. "Sorry, I..." Mike looked around.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"It's nothing." Mike lied. "Just thought I'd admire the scenery."

Twilight knew he was lying, but seemed too distracted to care. "We'll have to admire it some other time. It seems that the princess is getting impatient." She levitated a letter and unscrolled it. "She's demanding to know where we are, even though I messaged her when we arrived."

"Right. Later." Mike now had a feeling of homesickness. His stomach ached with the agony of seeing such sites that reminded him so much of his home city. Even the interior of the palace reminded Mike of the Purple Parlor.

"Alright, ladies." Twilight had turned to address her group. "And Mike. The princess is undoubtedly pacing back and forth with worry. So let's try to not stress her more than she already is." After that had been said, a purple glow surrounded the double door entrance, and they swung open. Inside the hallway was a stunning, multi-colored mane mare, standing taller than even the guards, the size of a full-grown horse.

_Magnificent...no, that word doesn't do her justice. _Mike could feel great power about Celestia, greater than that of any magic user that he knew. _What else does this world have in store for me?_

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight called out. "We came as quickly as we could."

"Thank you for coming, Twilight Sparkle. And the rest of you, as well." She turned her attention to Mike. "And you must be the newest visitor to Equestria."

Mike looked around the room. "What gave me away?" That tended to be his best entrance line when meeting with other diplomats who called his presence. This princess, however, did not share the same enthusiasm. "Apologies." He bowed before her. "My name is Michael. I am a junior diplomat to -"

"Michael, even though you are a stranger to these lands, I will hold you to obey the rules and laws that govern this kingdom." She seemed rushed and uneasy.

"Of course, madam. I will abide."

"I trust that you will not cause havoc or disarray."

"No, ma'am. I seek only to return from whence I came, and, if possible, give aid to wherever I can."

"Very well." The princess turned to a large stain glass window. "You have full access to any information that may aid your progress." She shut her eyes. "Now, to the matter as to why I have called you six here." She reopened her eyes and faced the group. "It seems that an old foe of mine has returned. Someone I thought I had defeated long ago. His name...is Discord." Mike heard a shriek from one of the others in the group. "He is the mischievous spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in a state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable life was for earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns alike. So after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers, and rose up against him, turning him to stone."

A flying Pegasus with a rainbow-like mane swooped in. "Alright, Princess!"

Celestia continued, "I thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever. But since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken."

Twilight, always one step behind the Princess, stopped in her tracks and had a look of dread. "No longer connected?"

"I have brought you to Canterlot Tower. The Elements have been kept inside here since all of you recovered them. I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again, and stop Discord, or he will thrust Equestria into eternal chaos!"

"Princess, you can count on us!" Twilight confidently responded. The princess managed to sneak out a smile before turning around and inserting her horn into the door. A glow of light transferred from horn to door as the familiar feeling of warmth washed over Mike once again.

_Is that what this magic is? Warmth and harmonious, with no ill-intent? I am certainly out of place. _Mike shut his eyes to let the feeling of magic into himself, and began to doubt if he really wanted to leave, when he was startled by the screams of the group.

"The Elements!" Twilight shouted. "They're gone!"

_Uh oh,_ Mike thought, _This isn't going to be good._ "Princess," Mike uneasily began to ask, "as my first task as a new visitor -"

Celestia cut him off. "That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I can bring down. This doesn't make sense."

"If I may, Princess..." A deep echoing laughter came from what seemed to be everywhere in the hall, "Chaos doesn't have to makes sense."

"What is the fun in making sense?" The voice rumbled to the group.

"Discord!" The princess shouted back to the hall, stomping a hoof down, "Show yourself!"

A flash of light came from one of the stain-glass windows, and a small creature now moved within it. At first, it reminded Mike of some kind of small deer, but it had one wing of a bat and another wing of a bird, and several other creatures' parts. _He certainly looks chaotic to me._ "Oh, I'd forgotten how dreary you were, Celestia." Discord was resting on his side, looking down on the group. "Did you miss me?"

"Hey!" The rainbow-mane pony roared back. "No one insults the princess!" She flew at the window, but only managed to run head first into a now blank stain. She reeled back from the window, wobbling.

"Ah," Discord reappeared in the window, "the famed Rainbow Dash, most known for her loyalty, the Element you represent."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash angrily shouted back. "I'll always be loyal to the princess!"

"We'll see about that." Discord darkly responded. "And you, Twilight Sparkle, the Element of magic, the most powerful of all."

"So you know who we are." The familiar drawl made Mike snap his head to the pony in the hat. "Big deal."

"Indeed, I do, honest Applejack." Discord was bounding from window to window. "Rarity, the Element of generosity. Fluttershy, the Element of kindness and Pinkie Pie, my personal favorite...laughter." A pause came from Discord, "And..." he stopped to look at Mike, "Hold on, who are you?" He asked as he pointed downward to him.

Mike couldn't help but to look around at the group. He then looked back up. "I'm...the element of...surprise?" That was the only thing he could think of as he shrugged. "Are you?"

"Hmmm...not really." Discord flew down to the bottom of a window, "I've seen stranger. But there's just something...out of place about you." One of Discord's hands was at his chin, "And that's saying something from the chaos master that I am."

Mike heard the hoof steps behind him. He turned his head only to see the group had taken a few steps away from him. He looked back to Discord, whispering, "You know nothing of the chaos I have seen."

"Is that a challenge?" Discord's figure grew to the full length of the mirror.

"Enough!" The princess called out. "What have you done with the Elements?"

Discord sighed, "Oh, fine. Take the fun out of everything. I've hidden your precious Elements of Harmony, and I will let you know where they are, but only in my way. To retrieve your missing Elements, just make sense of these change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then find the elements back were you began." Discord disappeared once again.

The group couldn't do much more than stare at one another. Finally, one of them broke the silence, "Now what in the hay is that supposed to mean?" It was Applejack.

"Twists and turns." Twilight mumbled to herself. She walked to one of the opened windows facing toward a hedge maze. "That's it! I bet Discord hid the Elements in the palace labyrinth!"

Celestia spoke, "Good luck, my little ponies." The other ponies bowed. "The fate of Equestria is in your hooves."

The group began to turn to make their exit when Mike cleared his throat. "Princess, if I may be so bold to ask, I may be a resident here for longer than expected, until such time when I can find a way back to my home." He walked toward the group. "As proof of my loyalty to this new place, I wish to aid these six in their quest." Celestia gave him a questioning eye. "I may not be an Element of Harmony, however I have certain unique abilities, practiced again and again over years of disciplined study that may be useful."

"What kind of studies, may I ask, did you take?"

"The ways of arcane magic." Mike answered. "The art of" he used his short teleport spell "teleportation, scrying," he summoned a water elemental "conjuring, and" Mike casted mirror images of himself throughout the hall "illusion." _Also blasting my enemies to the Twisting Nether using pure arcane energy._ But he dared not to mention the offensive usages.

Celestia seemed uneasy with Mike's offer of help, but she closed her eyes, "It is with great reluctance that I accept your offer. Were this any other time, there would be other ways to prove yourself, but, in this hour of greatest need, I sense no deception from you. I can think of no other way."

Mike bowed, shocked. That was not the answer he had expected to hear. "Thank you, Princess. You may rely on me fully."

"I certainly hope so." The group was then off, running down to the castle garden, being mocked by the maniacal laughter of Discord until they reached the entrance of the maze.

They all gasped. "Do we have to go in there?" Fluttershy asked as she shook in fear.

"Nope!" Rainbow Dash happily said. "Dopey Discord forgot about these babies." She flapped her wings and took off from the ground. "I'll just do a quick fly-over and we'll have the Elements in no time." Mike felt a surge of energy as he watched Rainbow Dash flying, and then falling. "My wings!" She exclaimed after she hit the ground. Mike noticed where there used to be a set of Pegasus wings were now just an empty place on her body. He spun around when he heard the shriek of Fluttershy. She had suffered the same fate. Another surge of energy came by, and another scream was heard. This time, both Rarity and Twilight's horns were missing. Even Mike was not spared. He suddenly felt lighter, and when he reached into his pocket, his runes of teleportation and portals were missing.

A green ball formed before them, and Discord in body appeared. "You! You should all see the look on your faces!"

"Give us our wings and horns back!" Twilight defiantly demanded.  
"You'll get them back, in good time." Discord vanished, and reappeared behind them. "I simply took them to ensure there's no cheating. You see, this is the first rule of our game. No flying, and no magic."

"The...first rule?" Rainbow asked.

Discord was now laying on a hedge. "The second rule is: Everypony has to play, or the game is over...and I win. Good luck, everypony!" He vanished in a blinding flash.

Mike yelled at the place where Discord once stood, "Does that include me, since I'm not a pony?"

Silence overcame the group, until Twilight spoke, "Never fear, girls, we have each other." Hedges rose from the ground, separating at least Mike from the group. It must have separated everyone else, for screams came through the hedge. "Calm down! We can still do this! Everypony head for the middle as fast as you can!"

_Right...middle._ Mike attempted to say an scrying incantation to see where he was, but it was fruitless. _He must have found a way to nullify even my magic._ Mike looked forward at the hedge. _Do I follow the left of right wall to get out?_

* * *

He walked for what was at least thirty minutes when he came across a large clearing. Mike immediately recognized where he was. It was one of the many parks in Dalaran. This park bore the statue of Antonidas himself, complete with the memorial written by Jaina. "Mike..." she heard her whisper.  
"Jaina!?" He hollered back. All he could hear was the whisper of his name. He called again, to no avail. "No," he stopped. "This isn't real."

"Oh," Discord appeared, "it's real, alright. Your home, back to the ones you love...or at least the one." He pointed to the statue, and Jaina came out from behind it. Mike felt a sudden sadness. "I can take you back to here. Your one-way ticket home!" Discord snapped his fingers, and a golden-colored ticket appeared in his hand. He brought it before Mike.

Mike began to reach up, but the retracted his hand. "And jeopardize the ones who you now torment?"

"Hahaha! Torment? I can't even imagine to know what it was like to be ripped from your home!"

"Ripped?" Mike thought. "I-it was an accident!"

"Was it? Did they know what they were doing? Sending you away to be one less problem?" Mike was in awe. "Yes, I know who you are. Junior ambassador, representing the Horde in your widdle council. Now that they don't have such of conflict of personalities to deal with, they feel more at ease."

Mike became angry. "I was appointed to my position because I was able to see past racial bigotry. We were one step closer to peace...and harmony."

Discord looked down at him. "Oh, pish-posh." He teleported next to Mike. "It's time to rearrange your political point of view." Discord placed a finger on Mike's head. Mike immediately knew what he was trying to do. Discord was trying to peer into the very essence of him, when the flashes of Mike's life came by. His first acceptance into the Knights of the Silver Hand, studying to master the art of holy magics, meeting Jaina, Mike's participation in the Third War...his death...and second life.

A discharge of energy sent Discord and Mike in opposite directions. Discord first sat up, breathing heavily. "What...is this?" Mike arose back to his feet. Discord still sat, looking now at his hands. "Your soul...incorruptible because..." he paused, lost in thought, until he looked back up at Mike, "...you don't have one."

"Such was the penalty of falling to the Lich King." He smiled at Discord, "And it also appears to by my immunity to you. Surprised yet?" Discord vanished once again, leaving only Mike in the cleared area. The statue, park, and Jaina disappeared, and all that remained was the ticket that now lay on the ground, until it disintegrated. "COWARD!" Mike yelled at the sky. A section of the hedge dropped, and Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy walked into the clearing.

"Mike!" Twilight seemed relieved to see him. "Thank goodness we found you!" She ran up ahead of the group. "Something's gone wrong with the others."

Mike looked the remaining ponies. What was once a lively bond had now gone dark, and he could no longer feel the warmth of their connection. "I can tell."

"Well, lookie there," Applejack piped up, "Rainbow Dash is flyin' away. She's abandoning us!"

Twilight looked up, "Now I know that's a lie." Mike looked up as well, not expecting to see Rainbow Dash flying upwards and then toward the horizon. "No! It can't be!"

The hedges began to fall around them, until all that was left was the barren, grassless ground. Discord appeared in front of the group. "Well, well, well. Someone broke the no wings/no magic rule." He snapped his fingers, and the missing horns and wings returned to their rightful owners. Even Mike felt his arcane power reawaken within him. "Now it looks like we're due for some eternal chaos!" Discord proclaimed gleefully, opening an inside-out conjured umbrella. Dark clouds began to form in the skies, as lighting crashed through them.

"Not so fast, Discord." Mike said, as he took point in front of the group. "You may have taken the life-force out of these ponies, but you were unable to take it from me." Mike unfurled his arms and said an incantation for a circle of frost around Discord. "Now, you will face true magic! You face organized chaos!" Mike brought down his hands as if to slam a rock against the ground. A circle of runes surrounded Discord, and before he could move, the circle condensed and froze, encasing Discord's feet in ice.

"Impossible!" Discord exclaimed. "No magic like this is conceivable!"

Mike stretched out his arms, hands open, with glowing balls of arcane energy in each. "And you call yourself a master of chaos!" He combined his hands to produce one sphere of energy, which he shot at Discord. "Nothing is impossible where I am from!"

"In that case," Discord responded, breaking the ice at his feet, and catching the arcane blast sphere, "you won't mind if I return the favor." Mike was dumbfounded by what he was seeing. So much so, he was unable to move when Discord shot the arcane ball back at him. When it hit, the blast knocked him back and onto his back. The last thing he saw was pink clouds roll in and the taste of chocolate milk on his tongue.

* * *

"Champion." He was back in the darkness, the voices whispering to him again. "You have arrived."

"A champion of what?" Mike called back to the voices. "For who?"

"Equestria."

"Why me?"

"You must fight the needed fight."

* * *

"How long was I out this time?" Mike awoke to a painful headache and a burning sensation across his chest.

"Nearly four days." Twilight was at a bedside where he now lay. "I brought you here when your condition became worse. You would fade in and out, saying weird things like 'champion' and 'fight' every once in a while." Mike looked around the room. He must have been taken back to the Canterlot castle. The room was mostly what looked to be marble, shining, with elegant drapery. He turned his attention back to Twilight. She looked as if she hadn't left the room in days. Her eyes were puffed, red and baggy, and her mane was a mess. "What was that all about?"

Mike looked back up at the ceiling. "I'm not sure. But I can tell you it didn't seem like that long for me." He sat up in the bed, and noticed the sun was shining in radiant glory once again. "What happened? Did Discord get away?"

"Hardly." Twilight began to walk to a window. "When you took that blast of energy, something happened to my friends. Here you were, a stranger, with no ties to us or to the rest of Equestria, defending it from disharmony. Your selfless act triggered something within me, and I unknowingly cast a memory spell that cleared them of whatever was wrong. We realized that friendship is always worth fighting for, no matter how impossible it seemed. Even Rainbow Dash came back to us.

"When Discord told us the riddle, I overlooked the phrase 'back where you began.' He meant the Elements of Harmony were in Ponyville. He must not have known the memory spell was cast, because he teleported us to the library, and there they were, inside the 'Elements of Harmony Reference Guide.' Using our powers, we turned him back into stone, where he'll remain forever."

"Well," Mike scratched his head, "at least revealing myself as an offensive magic user wasn't in vain after all."

"About that," a new voice entered the room. Princess Celestia was now standing in the doorway. Twilight immediately bowed. "I believe you may have some explaining to do."  
"Ummm..." Mike scuffled about the bed. "You'll forgive me. I'm not exactly in the position to bow."

"No matter." Celestia said, "I only wish to hear the truth as to who you really are."

Mike looked at Celestia, and then at Twilight. She almost seemed to have a saddened look, a disappointed look. Mike sighed, "You really want to know?" Celestia nodded. "My name is Mike, and I am a mage of the neutral faction, the Kirin Tor. I'm a junior representative, speaking on behalf of the faction known as the Horde. I have studied the ways of arcane magic, learning not only defensive spells like teleportation, illusion, and conjuration, but also offensive spells, like arcane blasts and summoning localized blizzards."

"So," Celestia began, "you are a very great threat to the peace and harmony of this land. Power like that should not be held by anypony."

"With all due respect, your highness," Mike knew he was on the defensive, "the mere showing of my magic may or may not have saved this place. Had I not taken my own arcane blast," he pulled up his undershirt, revealing the jagged scar across his chest, "Twilight and her friends wouldn't not have realized the need to fight...for friendship at least." The room was silent as Mike pulled down his shirt. "If fighting is to result in victory, then one must fight."

"And fight we did." Twilight said, as she stood next to him. "Without his selflessness, his willingness to act on our behalf, we would be lost in our own doubt."

Celestia looked at the both of them. "Is this what you believe, Twilight?"

"No," She replied. "It's not what I believe. It's what I know."

Celestia lowered her head and took a deep breath. "I may not like it, but I am forced to agree." She brought her head back up, focusing directly at Mike. "You have great power, power that concerns me, for I have never seen it before." She began to pace from the foot of the bed to the window and back. "This power must be held in check by another user of magic." Mike tilted his head in confusion. "With that in mind, you will remain in Ponyville and Equestria under one condition. You are to teach Twilight Sparkle, my student, in your ways of magic, until you find your way back to your own world. Power like yours needs to be understood." Celestia turned her attention to Twilight. "My faithful student, you are to learn what you can from this stranger. During this time, you are also to aid him in whatever way you can so that he may return home to his own world." She stood before the both of them.

Twilight stood tall. "I'm eager to learn, as always, princess!"

"And Mike," Celestia stood over him now, "Are you willing to show her what you know?"

Mike looked up, "If it means finding a way home, yes, ma'am." He turned toward Twilight, "Though it will not be easy. It has taken me four years of dedicated study to master just one aspect of the arcane."

"Twilight has been one of my fastest and most dedicated learners." Celestia interjected. "She is one of the most eager students that I've ever had in over a thousand years."

Mike uncovered his bed sheets and stood. He was still disoriented from the blast that should have killed him. "Well then, let's get started." He fell backward into the bed. "Tomorrow." He heard both Twilight and the princess giggle.

* * *

The next day, most of the disorientation had cleared, and he returned to Ponyville. Before leaving, Mike asked the princess if he could leave a permanent rune in the castle to serve as a portal and teleportation receiver.

"For what purpose would this serve?" Celestia wearingly asked.

"Instant travel to here from wherever I may be." Mike confidently responded. "All I would have to do is conjure a portal, and we can be back in Canterlot in an instant, no matter where I, or Twilight and her friends, might be."

Celestia nodded. "Very well. I just hope it is not too large."

"It won't be," Mike stretched out his arms, "Just about this large," he paused, "and carved into the floor," another pause, "and requiring a lengthy incantation to activate." She looked at Mike in disgust. "It doesn't have to be here. We can always put it outside or in a wing you're not using." Celestia seemed skeptical of the entire idea of having a rune of teleportation placed in her palace, partially since she hadn't ever heard nor seen of a rune before. She told Mike he could place it in the statue garden. When Mike began carving the rune on the marble slab where Discord once stood, she thought the rune to be more a piece of art than a thing of magic.  
"That's lovely." She commented. "That is where you will arrive?"

"Yes, princess." Mike had been kneeling, putting the finishing touches on the rune. "Now comes the hard part." He began the exhaustingly long process of activation, or so he thought. The abundance of magic in every corner of the land made channeling magic into the rune go quicker than expected. Mike stood after channeling for thirty minutes, "It is done." _That should have taken three hours. Powerful magic, indeed._

"The rune is complete?" Celestia meandered her way back to the slab.

"Charged, active, and ready for a test." Mike took off back into the palace and proceeded to the main chamber. Once there, he removed a rune of teleportation from his pocket and cast the spell. He was immediately pulled back down to the rune in the garden. "Works for me!" Mike turned to the princess. "I'll place another one in Ponyville when I return. If you ever want to drop in, give me the word, and I'll come open a portal for you."

She smiled, "I will. Good luck to you, sir."

The feeling of unknowingness and fear had been replaced by curiosity by the townspeople...or townponies, as many of them came up to Mike as soon as he stepped onto the train platform in Ponyville. His fight against Discord must have spread quickly, as many of the ponies came up to him just to say, "Thank you."

"Mike!" He heard Twilight holler. She was followed closely by the other five Elements. He began to walk to the group to close the distance. When they were but only a few feet from each other, there was an awkward pause of motion from both Twilight and Mike. In Twilight's mind, she wanted to tackle hug him for seeing him again...and Mike wanted to do the same.  
"Hi, Twilight. Ladies," he acknowledged the other five. "It's good to see you all again."

"HEY!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "Do you know what this reunion calls for!?" A moment of silence passed. "A PARTY!" And she was off, back to the place where Mike later learned was called "Sugar Cube Corner."

Mike gazed where Pinkie Pie had just stood when Rainbow Dash explained, "Eh, don't worry about her. She's just being Pinkie Pie."

_She knows how to throw a party._ Mike thought in the festive atmosphere of the tree library. _The entire town must have turned out._ He was surrounded by Twilight and the rest of her group as the guests of honor. Games we played throughout the night, music was blaring in all corners of the tree. He couldn't imagine a better welcoming party.

At one point in the night, the image of Discord's statue caught the corner of his eye. Mike excused himself from the party, saying, "I just need to step out for some air." Mike stepped out the door of the library, making sure he wasn't seen darting off to Discord's stone form. He approached the statue, remembering their dialog in the maze. "Yes," he said to the statue, "I have no soul. It was consumed when I was raised to serve the Lich King. My soul served to give the Lich King greater power." He began to circle Discord. "I was not alone, however. There were hundreds of other death knights before me, and hundreds after. At the Battle of Light's Hope Chapel, Arthas used us to draw out one single person." He stopped, looking directly at Discord's frozen eye. "It was an unwin-able battle. To be an agent of unholy magic and fight on the most holy ground; we outnumbered them at least ten to one, and yet, we were defeated." He could almost hear Discord ask him why. "The Lich King knew we wouldn't win. He sent us to die. The cleansing of the weapon known as the Ashbringer forced Arthas to retreat, and his connection to us severed. We were free again.

"I chose to go back to Stormwind. I was spat upon the moment I arrived by a guard. Rotten food was thrown at me. I was to be executed. It was only after pleading with King Wrynn that he spared me from execution. We then turned our attention to the only thing we death knights had left: Revenge. And we attained it." Mike placed his hand on Discord's shoulder. "You think being torn away from home was torment? I was reborn from it. Remolded by it. But now, you know too much." Mike began to step back. "And to ensure my secret life is never known to my new friends," two glowing arcane balls appeared in his hands, "I must complete what I started."

Nopony ever knew what caused the statue of Discord to shatter. An investigation was launched by Princess Celestia, but it proved unsuccessful. It remained a mystery.


End file.
